ANEW

Venture design unites technology, business, and design into a holistic framework for value creation. This section contains highlights of my graduate thesis work for the MBA in Design Strategy program at California College of the Arts.

Solution

“What can I do with this piece of clothing that I can’t bear to throw away, but can’t wear?”

ANEW is a scalable solution for reworking clothing you already own.

Research revealed that there is no effortless solution to revitalize one’s wardrobe that allows customers to feel good about what they have.

The team created an online service matching designers, tailors, and customers to creatively rework clothing. Through an easy to use online platform, ANEW serves up a variety of options to refresh and rework dated or damaged clothes.

Discovery

Consumers today do not have options for maintaining and restoring favorite pieces when the fix is more complex than what simple tailoring can provide, or harder to imagine than a simple hem. Many end up putting these seemingly-ruined items in the back of their closet, waiting — and hoping — to someday have access to a fix. Often triggered by a move, these items are eventually thrown out in desperation.

User research

Quantitative and qualitative research revealed trends, habits, and hacks of different customer segments. Beyond purchasing habits, we were curious to understand the emotions and meaning that customers associate with their wardrobes. We created a micro pilot experiment to learn more about what unworn clothing people were holding onto and why.

micro pilot

Participants sent in their clothing to us and our designers mocked up new designs to revive their beloved garments.

Pricing

We tested and validated pricing structures. This included experimenting with how a deposit prior to purchase would impact customer behavior and financial feasibility.

the app

An ANEW designer provides each customer with three proposals for their garment for the customer to choose from in the app. Each proposal is priced according to its complexity; once a selection is made, our on-site team of contract tailors get to work making the selected vision a reality, returning garments back within a few weeks.

ANEW’s app maintains low-touch connection with the customer to deliver a convenient and customized experience. The garment designs and style preferences collected throughout the process allows ANEW to build a digital inventory that can be later used to serve a broader audience with personalized garment designs.

business model evolution

The business model evolved as a result of testing pricing structures and logistics. Using forecasting tools, we mapped out how the business model would change in a variety of future scenarios. We modelled the expansion of our revenue streams to include a subscription membership program, and how that would impact channels and customer relationships. We explored how building a robust technology platform to automate our operations would position ANEW to sell its internal technology systems to other companies, making ourselves an appealing acquisition for major tech companies like Amazon.

Live prototyping

We prototyped the production system in stages with seamstresses, tailors, and fashion designers to determine turn around times for design mock-ups, quotes, and production.

Brand identity

Developing a brand identity involved envisioning customer relationship touch points and brand presence. How will the brand resonate today and with ANEW customers in the future?

Retail Pop-up

The marketing plan included bringing ANEW to consumers through a pop-up and influencer-based strategy; our research indicated this method would resonate with our authenticity-seeking audience.

Showcase

We created a retail pop-up experience to share our business concept with potential customers, partners, and investors.

the dream team

My roles on the Dream Team included research synthesis maestro, business strategy lead, and design operations manager - I made sure we got it done!